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The High Unreliability and Poor Quality of " Festo " Components

Around December of 2018, I started seeing a massively high failure rate on magnetic Field sensors, P/N FESTO SMT-8M-A-NS-24V-E-0,3-M8D, as used on the Cask ACS canning machine.
This series of failures has 99% been proven to be due to a change in the manufacturing specification of this part with attendant loss of reliability and grossly premature failure in wet and beer laden environments. Several changes in the package assembly were noted, all of which equate to a degradation of the product based on the results.
The sensor in the wettest position which is the lift table cylinder was reifitted with an equivalent made by Turck and the problem was stopped cold.
Water incursion into the festo product which never happened in the past is certain.
Other problems with Festo include poor quality air and C02 regulators with high failure rates on the auto drains noted.
Part numbers that are very difficult to reference even for Festo, and more.
The question is why do so many OEMs seem to use this product under the seeming pretense that its somehow of high quality when it is most definitely not?
If you are running a Cask ACS line, I advise using the alternative product for all repairs. Some of the failures on those sensors involved literal meltdown, which in real terms may not be good for the DC PSU depending on the protection on said outboard circuits. My experience with this brand has been nothing but trouble.

With regards to the Pak Tech handle applicator machine the story is very much the same. Similar type magnetic field sensors were prone to very high and premature failure rates and were replaced with an alternative brand and the problems were stopped cold yet again.

Emphatic yes with regards to those Festo sensors and the Cask ACS. As well we've also replaced the leads that connect to these sensor leads and go back into the panel. I don't know if the issue is water ingress at the connection between the two leads. If so then ideally those connectors should be away from the very wet areas but still exterior to the panel. IFM Efector makes a sensor that replaces these (and fits the same channel size-- bracket or cylinder channel) and I am tempted to give them a shot. Please tell me you have tried these and like them.

We experienced similar problems with Festo reed switches on our Wild Goose line. We have replaced them with IFM switches as needed and those have held up very well. They don't quite fit the same on the rotary seaming actuators, but still work much better and longer.

Turck Sensors and other matters

Originally Posted by Achy

Warren,

Oh sorry didn't see your reference to Turck. Can you please share the part number on that sensor? And yes, the lift table sensor is the most frequent offender.

Cheers

This should be the Number for the " Turck " magnetic field sensor that replaces the same style Festo unit as used on the Cask ACS5
BIM-UNT-AN6X-0.3M-PSG 3S; 10-30VDC.
This YELLOW sensor is GOLDEN since I installed it on the lift table position.
The Festo sensor has undergone some kind of intentional package decline which appears to be related to changes in the way that unit is manufactured. Older versions of the same unit were visibly assembled in a different manner. The new ones are subject to fast liquid incursion which then leads to very early failure. I have spoken to other people in the Industrial Sector and they have related similar issues with other Festo products. We have had repeated failures on Air Regulator auto drains, and regulators proper in some cases. I am not clear on why so many OEMs decided to build out with this brand, like it was somehow better which is not the case. It can also be double difficult even for Festo themselves to be able to match up replacements or parts for that matter. There is a lot of wasted time on this front.
I am not familiar with IFM brand.